Hoyer: Conference Report for Appropriations Bills Shows Congress Can Work Together

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after the House passed the conference report for the Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Transportation-HUD Appropriations bills:

"Today, the House passed a conference report that adheres to the Budget Control Act and still contains a number of good investments. It demonstrates that responsible Republicans and Democrats can work together to pass legislation to fund the government in line with past agreements and meet our shared responsibility to the American people.

“The conference report includes funding above requested levels for the Women, Infants, and Children program at the Department of Agriculture that helps keep some of the most vulnerable among us from going hungry. It funds the COPS program for law enforcement in our communities. It contains money for TIGER grants that will help move forward infrastructure projects across America. And it includes funding for WMATA to continue to improve safety and access to those commuting to or visiting our nation’s capital.

“This conference report continues our investment in cutting edge research by restoring funding to construct and, ultimately, deploy the James Webb Space Telescope. Not only is this a boost for American innovation, it is also important for many of my constituents in Maryland who are working to build it at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

“This is a compromise bill that omits the controversial policy riders many of us in this House had opposed. If we can work together on this conference report, I am hopeful that we can continue doing so in the critical weeks ahead.”